Question 1

The capacity of short-term memory-how many items can be held in mind and recalled immediately-is basically the same in all ethnic and cultural groups.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 2

An unpackaging study is designed to identify specific features of culture that can explain an observed difference between two or more nationalities or cultural groups.

Accepted Answer

An unpackaging study aims to identify the specific cultural factors (features of culture) that account for observed differences in behavior, attitudes, or other psychological variables between different nationalities or cultural groups.

Question 3

According to studies conducted by Gerd Lüer and his colleagues, why can Chinese students, as a group, retain more items in short-term memory than German students can?

Accepted Answer

The primary reason Chinese students can retain more items in short-term memory than German students, according to studies by Gerd Lüer and colleagues, is that Mandarin Chinese words often have fewer speech syllables than German words. This characteristic allows for more efficient use of short-term memory capacity.

Question 4

In 1897, an American anthropologist tested the memory capabilities of 500 Black and 500 White schoolchildren. What did he do when he saw that the Black students outperformed the White students?

Accepted Answer

The anthropologist concluded that the memory test was not a valid measure of intelligence after observing that Black students outperformed White students, reflecting the biases and assumptions about intelligence and race prevalent at the time.

Question 5

Why will a person who can speak quickly probably have a larger memory span than a person who cannot speak quickly?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why will a person who can speak...

Question 6

When designing a culture-fair test of intelligence, why should the test maker avoid using a task that requires test takers to memorize a series of words or numbers?

Accepted Answer

The answer of When designing a culture-fair test of intelligence,...

Question 7

Compared to holistic thinkers, analytic thinkers are more likely to commit the fundamental attribution error.

Accepted Answer

Analytic thinkers tend to focus on individual elements and attributes, making them more prone to attributing others' behavior to their personal characteristics rather than to situational factors, which is the essence of the fundamental attribution error. Holistic thinkers, on the other hand, are more likely to consider the context and situational factors affecting behavior.

Question 8

In a study that used the Framed-Line Test, Japanese students performed better on the absolute-length version of the test, but American students performed better on the relative-length version.

Accepted Answer

In the study, Japanese students performed better on the relative-length version of the test, which requires attention to context, while American students performed better on the absolute-length version, which can be solved by focusing on the object without regard to its context. This reflects cultural differences in perceptual styles.

Question 9

Which of these is NOT characteristic of holistic thinking?

Accepted Answer

Holistic thinking emphasizes the context and relationships among parts within a whole, focusing on background elements and external forces influencing events. It does not inherently involve a belief that trends will persist without reversing, which is more related to cognitive biases in prediction rather than holistic or analytical thinking styles.

Question 10

The social orientation hypothesis states that _____________________.

Accepted Answer

The social orientation hypothesis suggests that individuals with an interdependent self-construal (seeing oneself as connected with others) are more likely to engage in holistic thinking, which involves seeing the whole picture and how elements are interconnected. Conversely, those with an independent self-construal (seeing oneself as distinct and separate from others) are more inclined towards analytical thinking, focusing on individual elements and their properties.

Question 11

Describe a hypothetical study that would determine if individuals can shift between culturally conditioned ways of thinking.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe a hypothetical study that would determine...

Question 12

Compare and contrast analytic thinking and holistic thinking. How are they similar? How are they different?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast analytic thinking and holistic...

Question 13

Most Americans and Arabs think of time as moving from left to right, but Arabs also think of time as moving up and down.

Accepted Answer

Most Americans think of time as moving from left to right due to the direction of writing in English. Arabs, who read and write in Arabic from right to left, often conceptualize time as moving from right to left. The idea of time moving up and down is not a common cultural concept in Arab societies regarding the perception of time.

Question 14

In a series of studies, Moroccans were more likely than Spaniards to locate future events behind their body and past events in front of their body.

Accepted Answer

This finding is consistent with how some cultures, including Moroccans, conceptualize time differently than the more common Western perspective. In these studies, the cultural background influences the spatial metaphors used to represent time, with Moroccans more likely to associate the past with the space in front of them and the future with the space behind them, contrasting with the more typical Western linear time representation where the future is in front and the past is behind.

Question 15

The temporal focus hypothesis states that _________________________________.

Accepted Answer

The temporal focus hypothesis does not specifically state that thinking about the passage of time leads to a particular orientation (future, present, or past). It suggests that individuals can focus on different temporal frames (past, present, future) depending on various factors, and it doesn't inherently link frequent thoughts about time to a specific orientation.

Question 16

What did aboriginal Pormpuraawans in Australia do when a researcher asked them to arrange a set of picture cards in chronological order, from beginning to end?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What did aboriginal Pormpuraawans in Australia do...

Question 17

List three examples of how culture and language shape the way people think about the relationship between time and space.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List three examples of how culture and...

Question 18

According to researcher Daniel Casasanto and his colleagues, why do Moroccans typically place the past in front of them and Spaniards do it the other way around?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to researcher Daniel Casasanto and his...

Question 19

In one study, Asian students were more likely than White students to report first-person memories, but only when they were the center of attention in the remembered event.

Accepted Answer

In the study, Asian students were more likely than White students to report third-person memories, especially when they were the center of attention in the remembered event. This reflects a cultural difference in self-construal and memory perspective.

Question 20

In one study, Chinese students were, on average, less skilled than American students at taking the perspective of another person because they failed to separate their own perspective from their partner's perspective.

Accepted Answer

The study actually found that Chinese students were more skilled than American students at taking the perspective of another person. This is because they were better at separating their own perspective from their partner's perspective, which is a key component of effective perspective-taking.

Quiz 5: Cognitive Processes